Finnick's Promise
by Cookie Creed
Summary: As punishment for a past rebellion, each of the twelve districts must select a girl and boy tribute from ages 12-18 to appear in a reality TV show known as the Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. Little did I know of the events that were about to unfold.
1. Chapter 1

**1**

The daughter of the mayor didn't have to take tesserae; I didn't have to take tesserae.

I brushed my long black hair to one side and plaited it with slow, robotic movements. A pale green dress lay on the bed, waiting to be put on. That I did, and then I washed my face one last time and slid my feet into a pair of soft, pale green slippers. My heart was beating in my mouth when I walked outside.

Many other children were already heading to the town square for the reaping. My eyes scanned the trickle of kids until I spotted the person I most wanted to see. My best friend Edan was making his way towards me.

We'd been best friends ever since we were five years old. Edan was the baker's son; which meant he ate better than most people and had a warm house to go home to. He was taller than me, with short auburn hair, a prominent chin, a well-muscled exterior and gorgeous possum-brown eyes. I liked those eyes. They reminded me of warmth and the hearth.

"Hey Bo," he said once he got to me.

I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him. Edan stroked my hair reassuringly. He didn't offer condolences. There was nothing to offer.

"Good luck," I whispered. He pushed me out and held me at arm's length.

"Good luck to you too," Edan told me. He laced his arm through mine and together we joined the ever-growing crowd heading to the square. A pair of Peacekeepers prised us apart as we were sorted into the large group of sixteen year olds.

A hush went over the crowd, smothering the murmuring as the announcer walked onto the stage. She was a thin woman with fluffy lilac hair this year, too much make-up and a bubbly voice. Effie Trinket was her name.

Effie tapped the microphone and cleared her throat. Camera crews lined the buildings like they did every year to video the reapings. In District 12 the reaping was considered a death sentence, however in some Districts, like 1, 2 and 4; it was a great honour to be chosen as a tribute in the Hunger Games. Effie stepped up to the microphone and said something I couldn't hear because my blood was pounding in my ears. The massive screen behind her flickered to life and a video began to play. The video was about how grateful we should all be for the Capitol and pointless other things. I'd seen it four times already, and the sight of it again did not help in soothing my nerves.

District twelve had only had two victors ever, and only one was still alive. Haymitch Abernathy. He was the victor of the fiftieth Hunger Games, but he'd gone to waste now. Drinking was his life and without liquor he was useless.

He appeared now, walking slowly up the stairs and collapsing into a chair on the stage. Effie didn't notice him and appeared thoroughly absorbed with the video. Haymitch scanned the crowd and his eyes found me. They were very alert for someone who seemed so hung over, and he looked at me for a few seconds before resuming his scanning.

_He was sizing up the game_, I realised, shifting uncom-fortably where I stood. On the stage also sat my father; the mayor and my mother; his wife. They were impeccably preened and dressed in simple formal clothes. Mother was watching the movie with tears in her eyes; gosh she could be so emotional. Father had his eyes to the ground and refused to look my way. A reassuring glance or smile would have been enough to calm the nerves floating in my stomach.

The video ended and the big television screen hanging over the square went blank. Effie turned her attention to two large glass bowls filled with names. As usual the girls went first and she pawed her gloved hands through the paper. Five had 'Bo Sage' written on them in my cursive handwriting.

Effie selected a piece of paper from the glass bowl and opened it. I seemed like an age had passed before she opened her mouth and spoke the name. I prepared myself for the feeling of relief, but had to prevent a gasp of horror when I heard the name.

_Bo Sage_


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

I felt faint. Surely it was not me who had been called? My breath quickened and I took a wobbly step towards the stage, followed by another and another. The other kids made way for me as I passed; not meeting my eyes. I swallowed nervously and placed my foot on the first stair. Effie waited impatiently at the top and grabbed my arm as soon as I was in reach. I hardly heard her asking for volunteers; knowing that no one would volunteer to take my place.

Different thoughts were running through my head. Why me? Only five had my name on it, and some girls had their name in forty times. Then the full impact hit me.

I would be thrown into the arena with twenty-three other teenagers, left to fight to the death for the amusement of the Capitol.

And I would have to kill someone from my District.

Effie was clawing through the boys names and selected a name. I swear my heart almost stopped when she read it out.

_Edan Mellark._

What!? Edan and I were best friends there's no denying that. But to _kill_ him? That was insane. How would I kill him? It's just not possible!

Edan looked at me in shock as the same thoughts occurred to him. He had an older brother who was married and had three kids, the youngest of which was five. He was therefore unable to volunteer for Edan. No one in their right mind would ever volunteer for something like this.

All I could do was watch as Edan walked up the steps and joined me on the stage. District 12's tributes': the mayor's daughter and the baker's son. How would we survive?

My father began to read out the dreary Treaty of Peace, trying to keep his voice from wobbling. I remembered my first reaping four years ago. Back then I'd been filled with relief that I'd been spared a year. If I'd known then what I did now, well, I would still be up here. Still, the Treaty did nothing to prevent me from almost puking my guts up. Father finished the Treaty and sat back in his chair shakily.

"A round of applause for our tributes," Effie trilled, clapping her hands. The rest of the people assembled in the square let out a reluctant applause. Most of it was directed towards Edan. People liked him because of his kind, easy-going manner. They clapped for me out of politeness because my father was the mayor.

"Now shake hands," Effie told us after the clapping stopped. Edan grasped my hand and squeezed it as if saying 'It'll be okay'. That was not true.

Half a dozen Peacekeepers marched us to the Justice Building to say our last goodbyes. I had a sudden desire to grab Edan and run, to escape the inevitable fate that awaited us. I shook the thought aside. Those Peacekeepers would stun us before we took two steps. Instead I allowed myself to be pushed in an elevator and separated from Edan. They set me in a small sitting room and told me to wait. I sat on a couch and fiddled with the end of my plait. Barely a minute had passed when my parents rushed in.

"Be brave Bo," father told me, sitting next to me and stroking my hair. Mother pulled a pouch out from her bag, stifling tears.

"Here, every tribute is allowed a token to remind them of home," she said, handing me the pouch. I opened it, and inside was a silver necklace with a silver heart locket in it. Inside on one half was a picture of me and Edan wrestling, and on the other half, my parents smiling. I closed it and tied it around my neck.

"Thank you mother, it's beautiful," I whispered, hugging her fiercely.

"It was meant to be your birthday present," she sobbed, wiping her nose. Father joined the hug and we all cried together. There was no chance that I was returning. I wanted to tell them that I loved them, that I want them to be strong, but I couldn't find the right words. I'd never been very good with words.

The Peacekeepers announced that our time was up and my parents left. I had no more visitors.

Edan and I were marched out of the building and into a car. There we sat for the ten minute ride to the train station. I could tell that Edan hadn't been crying. It made me wonder if he'd been visited at all.

Camera's waited at the station to video us.

I wiped my face clear of emotion and walked stiffly into the train. I sat rigidly until it pulled away from the reporters.

This was definitely the richest place I'd ever been in; red carpets on the floor, jewelled chandeliers, crystal goblets and fine china. I relaxed in my soft leather chair and took Edan's hand, holding it reassuringly like you would a scared child.

"How're you holding up?" I asked. I saw tears fill his eyes and fall freely down his face.

"I'm scared," he whispered, hugging me close. We ignored Effie when she cleared her throat, but we parted when Haymitch spoke.

"What's the deal between you two?" he demanded. Edan let me go.

"We've been best friends since we were kids," he muttered, blushing. Why was he blushing?

"Huh, that's predictable. Well I'm your mentor for the Games so I'm meant to give you advice," he said, pouring some wine and gulping it down. Effie winced at his slurping noises and covered up by fixing her hair. A bell rang from somewhere in the train. How late was it?

"Oh, dinner," Haymitch exclaimed, darting to a different carriage. I wiped the tears off Edan's face and we followed Haymitch.

Dinner was a silent affair. Haymitch drank wine and ate a large bowl of noodles dipped in a purple sauce, massive crisp fish, soft white rolls and a bunch of grapes. Effie only ate a watery soup and the white Capitol bread like Haymitch. Edan ate the Capitol rolls, a sort of chicken wrapped in bacon and a large bowl of potato salad. I consumed only a thick broth, some sort of meat I'd never seen before, a generous helping of jacket potatoes and half a dozen rolls. I felt a little sick afterwards.

"Alright bedtime for the tributes," Effie said after we finished eating, ushering us to our rooms. They were side by side in the same carriage, and Effie left us to do our thing. Normally I slept with my cat because I couldn't sleep alone, but there was no cat for the next four weeks at the least.

"Edan, can I sleep with you?" I asked. "I don't want to be alone tonight."

"Sure," he replied. "Let me get ready first."

We parted and had showers. The water was delightfully hot and refreshing on my skin, and too soon I stepped out, dried off and pulled on some underclothes. As I left, I caught a glace of myself in the bathroom mirror.

My skin was fair, darkened with the living of District 12. My face was a perfect oval, framed by my luscious black hair. Edan often commented on how my hair resembled coal in its purest form. My eyes were as blue as the sky framed by long dark lashes. My lips were full and a deep red colour. I was often wishing for a kiss to land on my lips. My nose was straight and tilted upwards on the tip. Indeed, my entire face did not belong to the dark-skinned, grey-eyed people of my District. I was a slim, upright figure. Most girls my age were freakishly thin and you could count their every rib. I was again, different. My figure wasn't thin or large. I was voluptuous with a curvy body that turned heads in the school hallway. I wasn't sure whether it was admiration or jealousy that provoked the stares I got. Shaking my head distractedly, I tore my gaze from the mirror and went into my quarters and lay down.

Edan walked straight in and climbed into bed with me.

"Want to watch a recap of the reapings?" he asked.

"Why not," I replied, snuggling up to him. Edan held up the television remote and turned it on. We watched the recap together. Some of the people that stuck in my mind were the arrogant-looking blonde boy from District 1, a very attractive boy from District 4, muscular siblings from District 5, a giant from District 8 and a thirteen year old girl from District 11. Last on the recap were me and Edan. I saw the look of shock and fear on my face when my name was called, and a fleeting look of surprise when Edan was called. He switched off the television and held me close.

His touch made me realise how terrified I was. If I were to die, I wanted Edan to win. I would gladly sacrifice myself on the remote chance that he would win.

"Good night Bo."

I banished the worries from my head and was asleep before I could reply.


	3. Chapter 3

**3**

Effie woke us up saying that it would be a 'big, big day!' and Edan had to go back to his room to get changed. I changed into a pair of tights, a light green blouse, knee-high black boots, a green checked jacket and my silver necklace. I brushed my black hair so it flowed over my shoulders and left the room.

No one else was at the table for breakfast yet so I sat down and served myself. I made myself a bacon and egg sandwich and ate it in between sips of milk. After that I helped myself to a bowl of porridge, some more bacon and a cup of hot chocolate. It was the best breakfast I'd ever had. I was finishing my porridge when Edan and Haymitch walked in.

"You seem to have helped yourself," Haymitch commented, taking a swig of wine. Edan sat next to me and began to heap his plate with all sorts of breads, bacon and eggs.

"So when do we reach the Capitol?" I asked after my last spoon of porridge.

"If we're on schedule, just after nine o'clock," Effie said, joining us at the table. Nine o'clock wasn't too far away.

"So Haymitch, what are we supposed to do?" I asked quietly, slicing up some bacon.

"Well, when the stylists get to you, do exactly as they say. Don't complain or they'll make it even more unpleasant for you. You won't like what they do to you, but don't say a word. They'll prep you for the chariots where you get introduced to the world. Then I'll see you from there," Haymitch explained leisurely, as if we weren't going to die; as if it was normal.

_But it was normal_, I had to remind myself. It was normal for him anyway.

When the clock chimed nine, the train pulled into the station. Edan and I moved as far away from the windows as possible, but not far enough. The people waiting at the station recognised a tribute train pulling in and cheered for us: cheering for our death. I found myself hating these people already; for their outrageous fashion sense, for their ignorance to our pain, for their entertainment at our suffering.

We were swept off the train and stuffed into another car. People tried to get a good look at us as we passed, and tried to touch my hair or pull Edan's hand. We were mushed together, not that we minded. Once in the car it was much quieter. Edan and I were driven to this building, much more massive than the Justice Building, and the prep teams descended on us.

The buildings in the Capitol were ugly. The fashion was hideous. All this was considered alien to District 12. We had no money to follow fashion and no cause to even want to. These people cheered at our deaths and moaned when we failed to kill. Why should we?

~ ~ § ~ ~

I pursed my lips as the last of my body hair was removed. The ripping sound was horrible, as was the pain that followed.

"Not a single complaint and you look gorgeous!" Danico trilled happily, throwing away the strip of my hair. I touched my leg and winced as I could feel no hair; it was smooth as glass. The three of my prep team soaked me in a bath of strange smelling stuff, which made me feel much better. The three of them brushed my hair and plaited it down my back, re-painted my nails black and gave me a smidge of mascara. They dried me and stood me up, completely naked.

"Amii will see you now," Danico told me, leaving the room with his assistants. Amii was much older than me; an old woman with long black hair, sharp green eyes and very few wrinkles on her face.

"Hello Bo, I am Amii and I am also your stylist for the games," she said boredly, examining me shrewdly. She then muttered under her voice. "Huh. Some potential there."

"Um, thank you," I replied, feeling a little confused.

"Now: your outfit for the chariots. I decided that the miners outfit was so last season, so I decided for something with a little more 'bang'," Amii told me. She clicked her fingers and Danico returned holding a large bag. He gave the bag to Amii and left. She took my outfit out of the bag and slid a short black skirt up my legs, clipped a black jacket around my torso and placed a miner's headlamp over my plaited hair. She then zipped up a pair of soft black boots to my knees.

She put the finishing touches to my make-up and finally smiled.

"You look gorgeous Bo," she whispered sadly.

She led me out a door, down a hallway and into a large room. All the other tributes and their stylists were already there and waiting. The chariots lined the walls with the horses tethered tightly to them. I saw Edan waiting by our chariot and rushed over to him.

"Did what they do to hurt you?" he asked me, looking me up and down.

"Yes. They pulled out every follicle of hair in me," I said wistfully, unconsciously rubbing my hairless legs. "How about you?"

"They gave me this stuff that would make sure I couldn't grow a beard for the next year or so," he murmured, rubbing his chin. A gong went and the tributes rushed to their chariots. Edan and I climbed into ours and Amii and his stylist joined us.

"Get ready for the chariot ride," Amii told us. "Try not to fall off."

District 12 always went last. I watched as the District 1 and 2 chariots began to move as the procession began. The District 1 people were in clothes of sheer silk, so clear you could see your face in it, while the people of 2 were wearing gold plated armour. District 4 had fishing nets wound around them to form some sort of toga. The only other District I noticed was 11, the ones in front of us. They were dressed as trees like they were every year. But at least Amii had changed from the gross miner's overalls to something more noticeable this year. The only problem I found with the outfit was the headlamp. It was turned on, and did something to my face to make it glow. The line dwindled quickly and our coal-black horses trotted forward, keeping in pace with the rest of the chariots. Anyone could tell that these horses did the District 12 chariot every year for they did not need a halter or lead rope like some of the other horses.

"Take my hand!" Edan yelled over the crowd. I didn't hesitate and took it, and we held them up high for the audience to see. Now they would know that we weren't enemies; that we were friends. The audience screamed when they saw us holding hands and smiling gleefully. Edan squeezed my hand and bumped my shoulder. I bumped him back and we both laughed. We pretended to be enjoying ourselves, when we were actually mad at the audience for sending us to our deaths. Almost all of the tributes were made at the Capitol for the brutal treatment. At the moment there was nothing brutal about it but there soon would be.

I barely noticed the rest of the ride. We stopped for a few minutes for the president to say something and then we went out the opposite door.

Edan let go of my hand when we got off the chariot. Nerves had prevented me from seeing it before but I now saw what he was wearing.

He was wearing long black pants, black boots, a black long-sleeved shirt with a miner's harness tied over his torso. How original.


	4. Chapter 4

**4**

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" Effie exclaimed as we joined her in the elevator. I assumed she was talking about our performance, considering that our outfits were better than previous ones "You'll definitely attract sponsors now! That hand-holding really made them excited!"

"Thanks Effie," Edan said dryly, marching out of the elevator and joining Haymitch in the hallway. Haymitch led us to the dining room on our floor and sat us down. As if we would get sponsors.

"Now the next step is the training. Do either of you have any skills?" Haymitch asked, hiccupping slightly.

"No," I said, taking off my miner's headlamp and placing it on the table. "Edan does. He won the wrestling at school three years in a row and he throws massive bags of flour at me when I go over to his house."

"Can we not go into that," Edan grimaced, glancing at Effie. She had a mirror out and was fixing up her make-up.

"There are dozens of different stations for you to go to," Haymitch interjected. "Edan; stay away from wrestling until your private session. That way no one will know that you can wrestle and they won't expect it of you. While you're training, learn something new; start fires, tie knots, study edible plants. Just make sure you gain new survival skills."

"Okay," I said slowly. "Light fires, tie knots, edible plants, got it."

"And Bo, try and find something to show the examiners."

~ ~ § ~ ~

After dinner I was in my room staring out of the window. I couldn't sleep, not even after I had the nicest food and shower ever. Outside there was people celebrating and dancing out on the streets.

Dancing…

I stood up and left my room, walking up to the roof. It was deserted, thank god, so I could be alone with my thoughts.

I needed a skill to show the examiners. I had no skills. Other than dancing and singing. But I hadn't danced in ages so I was probably rusty.

To my amazement, the movements came to me easily. I spun and twirled along the edge of the building. One misstep and I would fall off the roof. But I didn't. Then I stared to sing. It was a simple lullaby that I'd heard many times as a child, but in my current position I wished so badly for it to be true.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

_A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_

_Lay down your head, and close your eyes_

_And when they open, the sun will rise_

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet-_

_-and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you._

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_

_A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray_

_Forget your woes and let your troubles lay_

_And when again it's morning, they'll wash away_

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet-_

_- and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you._

_Here is the place where I love you_

I finished the song and did my final twirl.

The meaning of the song was not lost to me. I knew that it sung of the beautiful place that the world would become after the Capitol and Peacekeepers were out of the picture.

I collapsed on the floor and began to sob uncontrollably. The lyrics had really moved me emotionally and I couldn't stop crying. I would never go home again and never see my parents.

Edan was the closest thing I had to family now.


	5. Chapter 5

**5**

The next morning all the tributes were assembled in the training center under the building we were staying at. For the next three days we'd come here every day and train for our private session with the examiners. They were there now; watching us train in a disinterested manner.

The instructor let us go and we all separated. Most of the tributes rushed straight over to handle dangerous looking swords, knives, maces, and in one case, a trident. Edan and I headed over the edible-plants section and began to revise different plants and their properties. It was very easy and Edan and I had a good laugh imagining if there would be any berries where we would be going.

"So where to now," Edan grinned after we'd passed the edible plants test.

"That climbing course looks very interesting," I laughed, leading him over to it. There was no line for it, and so Edan and I handled it with ease, swinging across ropes and climbing ladders. The only complication was when Edan lost his footing on a net and crashed onto the ground. I jumped off my ladder to join him, and helped him up.

"Try not to fall next time," I told him, trying to keep from laughing.

"I'll try," he replied, waggling his eyebrows.

~ ~ § ~ ~

It was like that for three days. Edan and I became competent in climbing, fire making, knot tying, herb lore, medical procedures and a few basic weapon techniques. I made sure Edan steered well away from wrestling.

On the bright side I'd decided what I wanted to do for my skill. No one knew what it was, not even Edan. But when the examination day came I would have to tell him after I showed the Gamemakers. I still wasn't sure whether I should tell him beforehand or not. I eventually decided not to.

The tributes all waited in a room off the training room. I had a bag with soft shoes in it for my skill. Edan had looked at me questioningly when I'd walked into the elevator with it, but didn't say anything.

Slowly, one by one, the room emptied as the tributes were called in to show their stuff. Eventually it was me and Edan left.

"So what's your skill?" he asked.

"I'll tell you soon," I told him, clutching the bag tightly. He teasingly traced a flower on the back of my hand and hugged me.

"Good luck," I whispered.

"You too," he murmured, kissing my ear. I breathed in his scent and then his name was called.

Edan left and I was alone.

~ ~ § ~ ~

"Bo Sage."

My turn.

I picked up the bag with my boots in it and went into the training room. The examiners looked slightly bored. I guess twenty-three other presentations had taken its toll, and watching them every year too. Just because I was from District 12 didn't mean that they could ignore me. I was going to make sure they paid attention.

I put the bag down and climbed a ladder in my soft shoes. A couple of the examiners noticed my shoes and looked on with interest. I balanced along a horizontal ladder until I was in the middle and curtseyed gracefully, feeling eyes on me.

Then I began to dance.

I twirled and moved with the grace of a dancer, and if not all the examiners had been watching, their eyes snapped up to me when I started to sing. I sang the song that I wished to be true. I sang a song that my mother had sang to me every night before bed. I sang of hope and a better world.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

_A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_

_Lay down your head, and close your eyes_

_And when they open, the sun will rise_

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet-_

_-and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you._

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_

_A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray_

_Forget your woes and let your troubles lay_

_And when again it's morning, they'll wash away_

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet-_

_- and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you._

_Here is the place where I love you._

I ended the song with a choked sob and covered my face. That did it. Now they would think that I was some kind of weakling who cried pitifully. However the examiners were watching me, completely captivated, until one cleared his throat.

"You may go Miss Sage," he said hoarsely, sipping some wine and coughing. I wiped my eyes and slid down a ladder to the floor, grabbing my bag before leaving.

Great, I'd screwed up and my result would undoubtedly be very low. This was my chance to prove that I was different to all the other tributes that had already come through and I blew it. What would Haymitch say? What would my parents say? More importantly, what would Edan say?


	6. Chapter 6

**6**

"How did you go?" Edan asked as soon as I walked through the door. Then he saw my tears. "God, are you okay?"

He darted across the room and hugged me comfortingly. The rest of the tributes were assembled around a feast table, but the eating had halted when I'd walked through.

"It's okay," I told him. "I just lost it at the end."

It was hard to not notice all the other tributes eagerly listening in.

"Can we go?" I whispered.

"Yeah sure," Edan replied, putting a hand around my shoulder and leading me out of there. The boy from District 4 was watching me with interest.

Edan led me to the roof. I remembered the other night when I'd come up here and began to cry again.

"So what did you do?" he asked me again. "If they insulted you let me know and I'll beat them up for you."

"It wasn't that," I sniffed. "I'll tell you what I did at dinner."

Edan kissed my cheek and embraced me.

"Make sure you do."

~ ~ § ~ ~

"So how did the training go?" Haymitch asked as dessert was served. I heaped ice-cream onto my plate and covered it with chocolate syrup.

"I just wrestled an assistant and threw some weights," Edan said cheerfully, cutting himself a large slice of some sort of cake.

"That's so impressive," Haymitch said sarcastically. "Bo?"

"I danced," I muttered.

"Danced?"

"And sang," I said defensively. "I got really upset when I finished singing. That's why I was crying. I wanted the lyrics to be real."

"You sang?" Edan asked. I nodded and he smiled slowly.

"I know it's dumb, but dancing is all I'm good at."

"I'm guessing that they were captivated by you," Haymitch said vaguely, staring off into the distance.

"They were actually," I said, remembering their amazed faces.

"Maybe you might stand a chance after all," Haymitch chuckled, calling for wine.

~ ~ § ~ ~

The results were coming out in the next few minutes. Edan and I paced in front of the television impatiently as they waffled on about equality and such. Then they began to call out the results.

A few stood out to me. The boy from District 4 (who I learnt was called Finnick Odair) got a ten, the giant from 8 got a nine and the girl from 11 (who was called Rose) got a seven. She must have pulled off something amazing to get that score. Normally the Careers scored high and the others scored below five. It was typical stereotyping. The Gamemakers had no right to dismiss us tributes from the lower Districts just because we weren't as good as the Careers.

"And from District 12, Edan Mellark," said the announcer. "Six."

Effie laughed in delight and clapped Edan on the back. I gave him a strained smile and high-fived him.

"District 12, Bo Sage," he said. It seemed like an age before he said the number. "Ten."

Effie positively screamed and jumped up and down in delight. Edan let out and sigh of relief and pulled me into a crushing hug.

"I guess they liked your dancing more than they let on," he whispered. I smiled and inhaled his scent again. He smelt like lemons. There was no way that I would ever forget that special scent. It was too unique and beautiful for me to forget.


	7. Chapter 7

**7**

Four hours of trying to walk in massive high heels and fake smiles passed.

"Come on your interview is tonight," Effie said crossly. "You have to be prepared."

"Well I won't wear heels," I said firmly, ripping them off my feet. Effie sighed and placed them neatly on the floor. Edan knocked on the door.

"Good luck," I said to him as he passed me.

Now I had four hours with Haymitch to work on my angle. Tonight was when I would make an impression on the audience. All the tributes had three minutes to answer Caesar Flickerman's questions in their public interviews. Amazing how they spent eight hours in preparation for an interview that was three minutes.

Haymitch and I reeled off the angles. I was best at being humble and honest.

"Okay, last of all: make sure you don't let the audience know how much you despise them," Haymitch told me at the end of the four hours.

"How did you know that?" I asked in surprise. I hadn't told anyone about my despising the Capitol. Haymitch shrugged.

"Every tribute except for the Careers hates the Capitol. I could tell it by the tone of your voice."

Edan and I were whisked off to our stylists. Amii and Danico fixed up my make-up and my hair while their assistants worked on my nails and skin. When I was virtually unrecognizable they claimed I was beautiful enough. Amii brought out a dress and put me in it.

The material was black, shimmering like coal that had been polished perfectly. The dress itself came just past my knees and had no straps. I couldn't see myself in this beautiful creature. She was from another world.

"Thank you Amii," I told her as she slid my feet into black leather boots.

"It was all I could do," she grinned, zipping up the boots.

She then led me to an elevator which would lead me to the other tributes. Amii had to go join the other stylists in their part of the audience to watch her masterpiece strut her stuff.

The elevator flew upwards and the doors opened, admitting me to the back of the stage. All the other tributes were there already and lining up in order of District. People gasped when I passed them, and it was hard to ignore Finnick Odair watching me.

"You-you-" Edan spluttered as I stood in front of him. He took a deep breath, "You look stunning."

"So do you," I said modestly. Indeed he was wearing long black pants and a buttoned shirt that matched mine. It was the most attractive he'd ever looked.

"But you look nothing like Bo," he said sadly.

"I know," I told him.

"I like Bo better," he said, then clapped his hand over his mouth. What was up with that?

"Um, thanks."

Then music began to play and the tributes all walked onto the stage in single-file. The host, Caesar Flickerman, was already joking to the crowd and making them laugh. He was a good host. He helped out the tributes and laughed at their lame jokes, and made the worst of comments unforgettable with his unfailing good humor.

The girl from District 1 was first. She was gorgeous, with luscious long golden hair and hazel eyes. She was plain sexy. The tributes rolled through and I noticed that Finnick played modest for his angle, the giant from 8 was hostile, and Rose from 11 was quiet. Then it was my turn.

I walked up shakily and sat like a lady in the chair opposite Caesar.

"So Bo, I think the main question here is 'ten'? How did you do it?" he asked, smiling maniacally.

"I'm not allowed to reveal the details," I said honestly. It was hard to think with all these people staring at me.

"Oh yes I forgot." Caesar laughed and clapped his hands. The he moved to the next question.

"What has most impressed you since coming here?"

Honestly…

"The roof," I said immediately. "I love it up there."

"Don't we all?" Caesar cried, laughing and gesturing upwards. "You get lots of sun I suppose?"

"Yes."

"Well how about the chariot? What was going through your head?"

"Well, I was relieved that I didn't have to wear the overalls."

"No one likes wearing the overalls!" The crowd laughed with him.

Caesar and I chatted for another minute then he got on the subject of the reaping.

"So what was your first reaction when your name was called?"

"I was first shocked, then terrified, then angry."

"And why were you angry?"

"Because I would never go home again," I said softly. I heard the audience sigh at the emotion in my voice. The buzzer went for the end.

"It was nice talking to you Bo," Caesar said cheerfully, pumping my hand enthusiastically. I sat down shakily and gave an encouraging smile to Edan as he passed me.

Edan and Caesar joked around a bit, comparing the food here to the food from other Districts. They had a short debate on what type of bread tasted better, then Caesar got serious.

"Now Edan, have you got a girl waiting for you back home?" Caesar asked seriously. Edan shook his head. "I don't believe you."

"I don't," Edan told Caesar. "The only person who'd be waiting for me back home is my best friend, and her name was pulled out at the reaping too!"

"Young Miss Bo Sage is you best friend?" Caesar asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"Yes. We've been best friends forever," Edan grinned at me.

"I don't actually know what to say to that," Caesar said as he leaned back, thrown off by Edan's honesty. Obviously he didn't expect such an honest comment. Maybe he expected Edan to say that we were acquaintances from school or something. But I knew that Edan wouldn't lie about our relationship because there was nothing to lie about. We were best friends and that was all to it. There had never been anything romantic between us even, although many people expected us to marry.

Edan nodded. "I would sacrifice myself for her."


	8. Chapter 8

**8**

Maybe that was stretching it a bit, but the crowd was totally eating it up. It was a cross between sighing at our friendship or the fact that he would die for me. Bo Sage, the mayor's daughter who scored a ten in training.

The buzzer went before Caesar could speak. He sighed and stood up. My mind was working furiously as the anthem played and all the tributes stood up to be a part of it. If Edan would sacrifice himself for me, wouldn't that imply that he was going to die? I mean, neither of us could live without the other back home, I guess. If there was no Edan, there was no reason for me to wake up in the morning. He was that special someone I woke up every morning for.

The anthem finished and the tributes were ushered off the stage.

~ ~ § ~ ~

I caught up to Edan just before we entered our elevator. He waited until the doors had closed before speaking.

"Bo can I tell you something?" he asked nervously.

"Um, sure," he replied, albeit nervously. "What is it?"

He took my hands and looked into my eyes.

"I-I love you," he stuttered quietly. I smiled and hugged him tightly. I guess… in a way I've always been in love with him. He's my best friend and we both know everything about each other. Then all the signs added up; kissing my ear and my cheek, hugging me more than usual. In his own way Edan was trying to show me he loved me before we went into the arena. And I hadn't said anything back. The elevator doors opened and Haymitch was waiting for us.

"Right, well we better get you two ready for bed. You need your rest before entering the arena," Haymitch said.

Once there I changed out of my dress into a night gown, washed off my make-up and brushed my hair. It felt so good to be free of the make-up that clogged my pores and to brush my hair. It felt so good to be clean, full stop. Edan was waiting when I went back out.

"I don't want to be alone tonight," he told me. We both climbed into bed and he held me close. I have to admit; I felt safe with him.

"Do you think we stand a chance?" I asked. Edan curled his arm tighter around my waist as if he was going to lose me. Fat chance; I was never letting him go. He was the closest thing I had ever had to family and now he was my only.

"We have to," he replied softly, kissing my eyelids. "Good night Bo."

"Edan?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you too."


	9. Chapter 9

**9**

"Did you sleep well?" Haymitch asked us the next morning.

"Much better than I should have," Edan replied. Hay-mitch nodded and sipped his wine.

"Getting back to business, I found out where you'll be in the games," Haymitch explained. "A country-grassland theme, where there are clusters of trees and the rest is long grass. The best way of surviving there is to grab something at the Cornucopia, find a cluster to rendezvous at, run away and find water. Whatever you do, don't brawl beside the Cornucopia or you'll die. Got that?"

"Yep," I said. "Find a rendezvous point, don't get in the main brawl or you'll die."

"Good. Now eat so you have energy."

Edan and I ate our fill and allowed ourselves to be ushered to the roof where a ship was waiting to take us to the arena. All the other tributes were already there and waiting. I was wondering why Edan and I were always last when ladders came down and we boarded. I sat between Finnick Odair and Rose on the ship as they inserted trackers into our arms. No one wanted to lose a tribute.

The ship descended into a hangar underneath the arena and we were all separated to different rooms. I would be the first and only tribute to use this room.

Amii was waiting for me. She gave me some long pants, a green shirt, a jacket and boots to change into. I changed and she clipped my silver necklace around my neck.

"I forgot about that," I said ruefully.

"You should be glad that it only just got through. The Gamemakers were convinced that it could be used as a weapon," Amii replied. She smiled at me. "Go get 'em tiger."

"What's a tiger?" I asked.

"A really rare and vicious animal found in the Capitol zoos," she explained. A bell went and she pushed me into the pod. I went in reluctantly, and it started to slowly move upwards.

I swallowed nervously and squared my shoulders in preparation for what was to come.

~ ~ § ~ ~

It was bright. That was the first thing I noticed about the arena. When my eyes adjusted I swept them over the land.

The grass was knee-high, and from where we were I could almost see the whole arena. Many clusters of trees dotted the fields, and off in the distance I could see the roof of a shack. I decided that that shack was our rendezvous point. The cornucopia sat in the middle of the circle of tributes, looking delightfully enticing. It was overflowing with survival equipment, but I zeroed in on a fat camouflage bag only a few meters in front of my platform.

You couldn't step off your platform without being blown to bits. Mines surrounded each platform, and after sixty seconds they would deactivate and allow you to surge forward to battle it out.

My eyes searched the tributes and I saw Edan two people to my left. He was watching me, waiting for me to make a decision.

Might as well decide on something. For his sake.

_Shack_, I mouthed, inclining my head in the direction of the roof. His eyes followed, and he nodded when he saw the roof.

The countdown on the top of the cornucopia was at ten seconds. I braced myself to begin sprinting for that bag. Five seconds, I slid my foot back and crouched in a running position. Three… two… one… go!

I shot forward those few precious meters and dove for the bag. By the time I'd stood up a few Careers had reached the cornucopia and were grabbing weapons to fend off the other tributes. The girl from District 1 threw a knife across the field and a tribute fell to the ground just short of a medical kit. She zeroed in on me and I flattened myself on the ground as the knife flew over me, right where I'd just been standing. The knife was lost in the grass.

Without waiting for Edan, I shot forward, ducking down in the grass. I spotted the knife that had just missed me sticking up in the ground to my left and pulled it out. At least I wasn't completely weaponless.

I sprinted through the grass once I judged myself to be out of range. Without glancing back, I ran towards the place where the shack was, sitting just outside a cluster of trees.

It took me a few minutes to reach the shack, and I was puffed. I sat down shakily and caught my breath before examining the contents of the camouflage bag.

Inside was a metal water bottle, filled to the brim with fresh water, a tiny medical pouch with a bunch of herbs, a large heat-reflecting coat, the knife and a length of rope. I put away the items and went inside to wait for Edan.

I hoped he made it out okay. If he died, then I would have to find some way of keeping myself alive. But then again, if he died I wouldn't be able to live.

There was the sound of footsteps and the tread on the stairs leading up to the house. I frowned. They were too heavy for Edan.

The door swung open and a massive shape hurtled through the door. I could barely contain a gasp when I realized it was _two _people. Edan fell to the ground, panting, and his eyes found me. The person, lying unconscious on the floor in front of me was Finnick Odair. I shot a questioning look at Edan.

"He took a knife to the shoulder as we fled in the same direction. If he wasn't behind me I would have died," Edan panted. "I couldn't leave him."

I nodded briskly and rolled Finnick over. Edan turned and watched the door. In the distance we could see the glint of the cornucopia in the sunlight and the figures darting around it.

Finnick was still unconscious. I pulled out the knife that was buried just above his bone tissue out and squeezed the gaping wound. Trying not to gag, I cast around for some thread and needle lying around somewhere. Edan rifled through some drawers, pocketing several things, but finding a medical kit in one of them. He pulled it out and fumbled for some thread and a needle.

"Hurry," I urged. Edan extracted a needle and tugged a line of thread through it, breaking the end with his teeth. It should be enough to stitch up the wound.

I gritted my teeth and pushed the needle through his skin. Edan gagged and went back to watching the door. This was positively the most disgusting thing I've ever done. Blood seeped out in between the skin where I sewed it back together, and already a pool of Finnick's blood was forming on the floor beneath his shoulder.

The smell of blood was almost overpowering. It smelt of… rust: rust and the salt water in tears. I finished the last stitch and tied the thread in a knot so it wouldn't undo easily. Hopefully Finnick would have the sense to take out the stitches once the wound was healed. I cast the needle aside in the kit and pulled out a white bandage, tying it tightly around his shoulder. As I was tying the ends up in a knot over the wound, a sudden thought struck me.

Why was I saving him? He was a Career. He wouldn't do the same for me, but why was I saving him? There was no reason for me to. But why? There was some voice in my head telling me that I mustn't let anyone die that I can save. If I let him die, then I was just a piece in the Games. If I saved him, I proved I was much more than that. I had compassion, grace and kindness. I cared for the people who suffered in front of me. None of them asked to be here. We were just victims of chance caught up in something much bigger than any of us.

Finnick was coming to. I searched the kit until I found morphling pills. Just one of these little things would reduce pain up to eighty per cent, for a time of around eight hours. I grabbed several and placed them in his hand, curling his fingers around them tightly. Edan nodded towards the door.

"He can take care of himself now," I muttered, closing the kit, stuffing it in my bag and going to the door. Edan looked left and right, but we couldn't sense anyone nearby. Edan took my arm and carefully led me out onto the porch. There was no movement except for a slight breeze ruffling through the trees.

I glanced back and he was awake, and his gorgeous eyes were trained on me. Finnick clutched the berries protectively in his hand and his head turned slightly. I could tell that he could see the bloody bandage around his arms, knew that I had stitched his shoulder and given him those pills. I slight smile played over his lips and he mouthed the words: _Thank you._

I flicked my head away from Finnick's eyes and followed Edan off the porch and into the long grass.


	10. Chapter 10

**10**

Edan and I ducked as we slithered through the grass like snakes. I blushed as he took my hand.

"I can't afford to lose you in this grass," he joked quietly. I grinned and follow him through the grass. I now see that he managed to save a small grey bag no bigger than my head and rope. Hopefully my heat-reflecting coat will be enough for both of us.

"Wait," I say. Edan stops and looks at me. I gesture towards a berry bush. "Those look like something familiar?"

"Why yes they do," Edan grinned cheekily. "It looks like a cluster of Wild Rose."

We gather up as many of the berries as we can and stuff them into our mouths. After all the running we did earlier we're famished. I even gather up the rest of one bush and tuck it into a little pocket in my bag for later. Edan and I eat the berries as we walk; the sweet juices exploding with flavour on our tongues. After we finish eating, we begin a steady jog away from the cornucopia. Away from the bloodshed.

That's when we hear the cannon boom.

~ ~ § ~ ~

It must mean that the initial fighting at the cornucopia is over. Edan and I listen carefully as the first shot is heard, then the second, and the third, all the way up to seven. Seven tributes killed at the cornucopia. It would have been eight if we'd left Finnick.

When the cannon stops and it's silent, Edan and I begin to move again. This time it's me who takes his hand.

We alternate between jogging and walking for the rest of the day. We come across a stream just before dusk and decide to make camp in a secluded cluster of trees nearby. It would be safe from prying eyes.

I consume the contents of my water bottle, replacing fluids I lost in the day, and replacing it with the fast-running clear stream water. Edan assures me that at the rate it's flowing, the amount of harmful substances in it would be about one per cent. Once we drink our fill, we head to the nearest cluster of trees and circle around a promising-looking tree.

"I'll go first," I tell Edan. I leave him my bag and scale up the tree. By chance, I find a branch, thick enough to support Edan and me two times over. He joins me and we set up for the night.

We don't have much. In Edan's bag, he has some carrots, a water bottle and a bunch of dried fruit.

I tie my rope around his waist, then mine, and around the tree. That way if we roll over during the night we won't fall. In a Hunger Games a few years ago I saw a girl use this trick, but she died when a bunch of mutts attacked her.

"How do you feel?" Edan asks softly as I wrap my coat around the both of us. Night has fallen and we're surrounded by darkness.

"I'm scared," I admitted. "We're all scared. But I'm only scared of losing you."

"Losing me?" Edan sounded confused. "But we're not going to make it through anyway. You know that. We both know that."

"I know. That's why I'm scared," I whisper. "We won't be able to grow up, have a family of our own and live without worry of being chosen for the Games."

"But our kids," Edan sounds sad. Then I smile. _Our_ kids. He said _our_ kids.

"We were never going to have normal lives anyway," I snuggle up to him and wrap my arms tightly around him. Edan lays back and holds me close.

"That was guaranteed. At least my brother doesn't have to worry about being chosen. I do love him, and I hope that he takes care of his kids," Edan murmured. "I'm their uncle after all."

I could sense camera's watching us, recording our every word. Maybe a fight was going on somewhere; I don't know. I bury my face into Edan's shirt and try not to cry.

"Shh, shh it's okay Bo," Edan reassures me. I lace my fingers through his and lift my head up, meeting his soft brown eyes with my blue ones.

"I feel safe around you," I whispered. "But I know that it's not safe at all. How is it possible?"

Before Edan can reply the Capitol emblem lights up in the sky and the anthem begins to play. We watch as the faces of the dead appear in the sky with their District number.

There's the girl from 5, both from 6, both from 7, the boy from 9 and the girl from 10. All of them are dead. The anthem finishes and the sky goes black.

"I promise Bo," Edan breathes in my ear. "I will do whatever I can to keep both of us alive."

"You better," I whisper back. "I have only my parents back home, and they're always too busy to spend time with me. You're all I have left."

I can imagine the sighs from the watchers, the sobs from my parents and the nod from Haymitch. I had just confessed that Edan was the most important thing in my life, which he was.

"You're all I have left too," Edan breathes. Then he leans forwards and kisses me.

It's not a passionate kiss; it's a gentle reassuring kiss. His lips are so soft and taste of berries. I could kiss them forever.

I kiss him back and he tilts his head slightly and presses a hand to the back of my head. I can taste my tears and the berries. All I can feel is his lips. It's this feeling that awakens a strange hunger from deep within me. At that moment, I couldn't think. I couldn't feel anything except for Edan's lips.

We're interrupted by the sound of voices.


	11. Chapter 11

**11**

"We can stop here." It's a girl's voice; the girl from District 11. I could pick out her sweet voice anywhere. Glancing down, I see she's made some allies.

The boy from 5, both from 3, the boy from 11 and the girl from 9 are with her: six in total. The Career's will definitely be hunting them tonight, laden with choice supplies.

"Should we stop here?" the boy from 3 asks.

"Let's climb a tree," the girl from 9 suggests. The others agree and they climb a tree on the other side of the cluster, choosing a branch each to sleep. Edan and I part and stay silent, but lie down together and prepare to relax. Hopefully they'll be gone in the morning.

As I drift off, I do a head count. All tributes in 1, 2, 3 and 4 are alive. The boy sibling from 5 is alive and his sister is dead. Both tributes from 6 and 7 are dead and both from 8 are still alive. The girl from 9 is alive while the boy is dead. The boy from 10 is alive while the girl tribute is dead, and both tributes from 11 and 12 are alive. That made eight dead and sixteen are still alive.

For now.

~ ~ § ~ ~

The next morning I'm woken by a cannon firing.

I jerk awake and it takes Edan's hand clasped over my mouth to stop me from yelling. He shushes me and makes a motion below us. I glance down and see a sight that almost makes me sick.

The Career tributes are standing beside three dead bodies. The boys from 5 and 3 lie dead along with the girl from 9. I can see the remains of a campfire by the base of the tree next to the dead tributes with breakfast cooking in the coals. The Careers whoop and yell as they pick through the dead tributes stuff, take the food and leave. Edan and I watch as a hover craft from the Capitol descends and plucks all three tributes out of the arena to mail them back home. Once the noises of the Careers disappear, Edan lets go.

"They were making breakfast," he explains. "The Careers must've seen the smoke. The girl from 3 and both from 11 made it out, but the boy was injured. I think he fell from his branch and broke his leg or something."

As if on cue, the cannon fired. It must be for the boy from 11. Who else?

"That's twelve people dead in just over a day," I said quietly. Edan kisses my cheek and unties me.

"Let's hope that we don't become one of them," he tells me optimistically.

"You always look at the bright side of things," I grin and kiss him lightly.

Edan and I eat the rest of the berries, pack up and climb out of our tree. The Careers must have moved on because I don't see their footprints anywhere near the stream. We fill up our water bottles and drink our fill before filling them up again. That's when I get the sensation that we're being watched.

"Edan," I say warningly. Edan snaps his head towards me and I glance behind me. It's the girls from 3 and 11. They both look disheveled and scared, watching us from behind a bush in the grass. The girl from 11 looks to be around thirteen, like in the reaping, but the girl from 3 was around fourteen.

"It's okay we won't hurt you," I say kindly, beckoning them over. None of them move and I sigh.

"I'm Bo Sage, mayor's daughter from District 12. This is Edan Mellark, the baker's son and my best friend. Who are you?" I ask them. The girl from 11 takes a frightened step towards me. That's when I notice the ant bites up her arm. The girl from 3 is frightened to stay alone and follows her.

"I'm Rose," the girl says. "This is Cassie."

"I have something for those ant bites," I tell Rose. Edan stands protectively by my side, and the girls decide that his intentions are not to hurt them, but protect me. I search through the first aid kit and find ant cream. Rose rushes forward as I apply them to her arms.

"I fell into an ant nest yesterday," she said ruefully. "I'm lucky Gray…" her voice trailed off.

"Was he your District partner?" I ask gently. She nodded and sighed as the cream sucked away the pain. Cassie stepped forward timidly and holds out her hands. They're covered in burn marks. From when she fell out of the tree, I guessed. Edan takes some burn cream and applies it to her hands. Cassie sighs appreciatively, but then glances around.

"Someone's coming," she whispers, then darts behind the bush again. Rose follows her, and Edan and I grab our stuff and take off after them. We all huddled behind the bush in the long grass as four people came into view.

It wasn't the Careers. It was Finnick Odair, the tributes from 8 and the boy from 10. I breathed a sigh of relief and sunk deeper into the grass with Edan, Rose and Cassie. Even though they were 'friendly' we didn't want to mix with such dangerous adversaries. The Arena was no place for honour.

They were glancing around wearily as they refilled their water and washed their faces. Finnick still had the bandage around his arm, I noticed. Why hadn't he taken them off yet? Surely his arm was better? If he didn't take it off the flesh could rot.

"Are the Careers around?" the girl from 8 asked. Finnick shook his head.

"If they've been here before than they won't come back," he told his group. They finished filling their water bottles and were lost in the grass.

I didn't move until long after they had gone.


	12. Chapter 12

**12**

Rose and Cassie joined us as we trek through the long grass. There's no sign of anyone else for the rest of the day. We walk for ages; over hills, past trees until we reach a massive lake.

It stretches on for miles. When I see it, I get the sense that we're only on one part of the arena. We could cross the river, but there are sharp rocks and whitewater to contend with. And I couldn't swim very well.

"Should we swim?" Cassie asks in a small voice.

"No," Edan tells her. I could almost kiss him. "No swimming unless we have to."

Night begins to fall, condemning us all to darkness. Edan and I do some last-minute foraging with Rose while Cassie sets up camp. She was skeptical about being alone, but we told her we wouldn't be going far and she calmed down considerably.

Rose turned out to be a good help. She foraged well and came up with more stuff than Edan and I put together. We feasted on an assortment of nuts and berries for dinner before rugging up for the night. Cassie shared a sleeping bag with Rose and I slept with Edan in our coat. Tonight we were lying on the beach in the moonlight on the ground. It was a great improvement from a tree.

"Do you think we'll be able to have a peaceful night?" I ask Edan. He has his arms around me, with his other hand stroking my hair, and I was snuggled up against him, feeling safe with his touch.

"I doubt it," I told him. "There haven't been any cannons since this morning and the audience is probably getting bored."

"Well we should tie ourselves together for when they do show the surprise. That way we can't be separated," Edan suggested. I agreed and we tied each end of the rope around our waists, leaving a decent length of rope in between us.

The anthem began to play as the Capitol emblem shone in the sky. The faces of the boys from 3, 5 and 11 and the girl from 9 all smile down from above us. They wouldn't smile again. They were dead.

With that comforting note, we lay down and slept.

~ ~ § ~ ~

The four of us were woken by the smell of smoke.

"Fire," Edan gasped, leaping to his feet. I grabbed my things and stuffed them in my bag. I could see the flames moving towards us at an alarming speed. It was a favourite tactic of the Gamemakers. They would set a fire ablaze and flush the tributes out of an area to drive them together. They'd used the same tactic in the fiftieth Hunger Games, except with a volcano, and it wiped out a majority of the remaining tributes. We had to get out quickly, or we would die.

I drop my knife in the hurry to pack and Edan grabs it for me.

"Let's go!" he yells over the roar of the flames. "We have to go to the water!"

I was beginning to breathe in smoke. I cough as Edan drags me into the water. As if I had a choice. The rope tying us together would have done the job. Rose and Cassie shrieked as they dropped their bags and scooped them up again in their haste to get to the water. Rose made a final leap and splashed into the water just as the flames reached where she and Cassie had slept in the long grass. Cassie wasn't so lucky.

A tree situated right near the beach was set ablaze and fell over with a groan. Cassie screamed as her leg was pinned underneath and she couldn't move.

"Cassie!" Rose screamed when she looked back. Rose turned to help her but my restraining hand preventing her from doing so. Tears streaked her dark face.

"She's gone!" I yelled over the flames. "We have to get out of here!"

Cassie's screams followed us down the river as we let the cool current pull us downstream. Then they suddenly stopped and the cannon boomed.

~ ~ § ~ ~

Edan pulled Rose out of the water as we squelched up the beach. The sun was up finally, and we could not smell to smoke, see the flames or hear Cassie's screams in our ears anymore. Rose trembled with cold as she collapsed on a pile of leaves near the grass. Edan sat down to comfort her as I looked around.

I had no idea where we were, or how far the current had pulled us in the hour before dawn. Twelve tributes were dead in two days. There was no way we would survive. However, I did spot something that lifted my spirits a little. A patch of Sea Buckthorn berries right next to a macadamia tree.

"Guys," I said. "We should eat and dry out our clothes. They're no use to use wet."

Rose nodded numbly and stripped off her jacket, shirt and pants until she was in her underclothes. I took them off her and laid it on top of a patch of grass to dry while she gathered berries and nuts from the trees and bushes. Edan stripped off to his underclothes and I had to contain a shiver of desire. He must have seen the look in my eyes because he gave me a cocky smile and untied the rope around his waist. I sighed in exasperation and pulled off my clothes and the rope before I lost my nerve. I watched as Edan's eyes roamed my body and he met my eyes with his own. Passion burned deep within them and it took the smell of flowers to bring us to our senses.

I made a mental note to investigate the smell once I had dry clothes and joined Rose at the tree. She was picking the nuts with trembling fingers and dropping them into a basket she'd woven along with the Sea Buckthorn berries.

"You gonna be okay?" I asked softly. She nodded.

"I think so," she replied. "I didn't know Cassie that well, but the way she died… in those flames. I think I'll have nightmares tonight."

I knew how she felt. Having a friend lost like that… it made me think of a girl I knew whose parents were both dead. She lived in the community home for orphans and children whose parents could not afford to support them. She suffered a loss that most of us did not know about. I knew that Rose was scared of dying and being unable to help those she cared for. Helping seemed to be all that went on in the Districts.

"We'll be okay for the night," I promised. We took the basket to where Edan sat and joined him.

The sun was fully up now. Its rays beat down on us cruelly, but hastened the drying of our clothes. Edan watched Rose and I in amusement as we went behind a tree to get our clothes on.

"What's the point?" he yelled. I suppose it was this sentence that put us all in danger.

Edan had just finished pulling on all his clothes, tying up his boots and picking up his small backpack when something grabbed him. I heard him cry out and darted over to where our things were, just in time to see Edan's hand disappear over a crest. Rose and I slung our bags over our shoulders and gave chase.


	13. Chapter 13

**13**

The chase didn't last long. As soon as we ran over the crest Rose and I stopped in surprise.

The most beautiful field of flowers lay before us. Flowers of every colour were strewn across the meadow; daisies, dandelions, roses, tulips, marigolds, bluebells and butter-cups. As soon as the smell caught my nostrils, all I wanted to do was leap into the field and lie there thinking of nothing but the flowers.

I shook myself mentally. What was wrong with me? Shouldn't we be chasing Edan? I took that as a yes and started breathing through my mouth. As soon as the smell was gone, so was my desire to leap into the field.

"Breathe through your mouth," I ordered Rose, pinching her nose shut. She gasped and looked at me in surprise.

"What happened?" she asked, pushing my hand away.

"It has something to do with desire, I think. We should be looking for Edan."

Rose and I searched the ground, breathing through our mouths, but could find no sign of Edan. Then I heard a yell.

We took off in the direction of the yell and ran straight into a clump of trees. Under the trees, Edan was kicking at a bunch of monkey-mutts. I'd seen these mutts before in a recap of the fifty-second Hunger Games. I knew they meant business.

"Edan!" I yelled, rushing up to him. He looked at me, and in that split second of distraction, the mutts grabbed him and dragged him away with startling speed. Rose and I began to run after them, but two monkey-mutts leapt down from the trees and began to attack us.

I pulled out my knife from the front of my bag and held it in front of myself in defense. All the stuff I'd learnt in training flashed through my head and I lashed out at the monkey, slicing through its arm as it reached forward to grab me. The mutt screamed and leapt at me: its fatal mistake.

I held the knife as far away from me as I could and the blade penetrated the mutt's lungs and heart as it leapt. It heaved a long sigh and fell to the ground, dead. Rose, surprisingly, had the monkey pinned and was bashing it to death with a rock. The monkey whimpered and fell limp. Rose checked its vitals and nodded. Dead.

We ran after that, following the trail that Edan left as he was dragged. We didn't stop to eat, or drink, or urinate. We just ran.

~ ~ § ~ ~

It was dusk by the time we stopped.

Rose was gasping and clutching her side, sweat was pouring from her body and drenching her clothes. Driven by determination, I was barely panting.

"Can we sleep now?" Rose rasped, opening her water bottle and drinking the entire two liters in hurried gulps. I climbed a tree and helped her up. Rose finished off her water and pulled a handful of nuts and berries out of her bag. I glanced around us then ate with her. It was no use starving myself if I wanted to find Edan.

We finished half our food and my water in a companionable silence. Rose settled back in her sleeping bag then hesitated.

"You want to share?" she asked timidly.

"Sure," I smiled, taking off my boots and snuggling into the sleeping bag. We fit easily.

"You really like him don't you?" Rose said quietly. I reached up and began playing with her hair.

"He's my best friend," I told her. "Of course I like him."

"I mean in that way. I know he likes you," Rose replied. I could feel the cameras trained on us, listening to every word.

"I guess, in a way, I do like him that way," I admitted. "He's my only friend, and we both know that we're not going to make it out alive."

"That's really sweet," Rose said mournfully. We were silent for a moment.

"So what's life like for you back home?"

I got to know Rose as the sun disappeared. Rose; youngest of four, extremely passionate about cooking and who's favourite thing ever is her pet bird Grain.

"He's a canary," she told me. "Grain sings me awake every morning and flies with me to school and to work in the fields. When he hears the horn to signal the end of work, he flies around whistling a special tune to tell the workers to go home. Any other time he hangs around in the orchard with me, pecking fruit off the branches."

"He sounds like a dear," I laughed. Rose's eyes twinkled with pride at her bird. "I have a beautiful cat at home. He's coal-black, the same colour as my hair and I sleep with him every night. I can't sleep alone and he's always there to comfort me."

"Tell me more," Rose nudged me playfully.

"Black catches out mice. He even goes around to the neighbour's homes and catches their mice. Sometimes when he's lucky I'll leave him a saucer of milk as a gift."

I was about to continue when the anthem began to play. Rose and I watched as Cassie's face appeared in the sky, smiling and care-free for about ten seconds. All the tributes now knew she was dead.

Twelve dead. Twelve to go. We were doomed. I thought about Edan. I had to get him back. I would do almost anything to get him back. Those mutts wouldn't stand a chance.

"Good night Bo," Rose murmured. I was asleep before I could reply.

I dreamt of District 12. Mother and father were both there with me and we were having a picnic in the Meadow. The dream turned to grey and faded to nothing.


	14. Chapter 14

**14**

Although I'd seen loads of blood and gore in the last few days, I didn't have and nightmares. The next morning Rose admitted to having nightmares. She claimed that night-mares were common during the Games, but was surprised when I told her I had none.

We were on the move just after sunrise. The yellow light bathed the entire arena with a soft glow and gave me a feeling of hope. Maybe I would save Edan from the mutts. The mutts maybe, but not from the Arena.

It was becoming easier to follow his trail. The mutts seemed to be dragging him more slowly and the amount of wrecked grass was much less. Maybe he wasn't being dragged anymore? Maybe the mutts had hoisted him on their shoulders and were now walking to their destination, certain that we were unable to follow them. Rose and I slowed to. At the deepness of the footprints, we could tell that we were close to where they were taking Edan.

A hoot. A howl. Rose froze and cocked her head.

"Underground," she told me. "It's coming from underground."

We followed the trail a little further and found the source of the commotion.

A giant ant hill sloped upwards with a tunnel big enough for a human to squeeze through. There were no ants however, and the source of the noise was coming from the hole. And there, right next to the tunnel, was Edan's backpack. Rose was trembling nervously beside me as I slung his bag over my shoulder.

"You hate ants?" I whispered. She nodded fearfully and rubbed her wrists. I took her hand in one and my knife in the other and climbed up the side of the ant hill. If any other tributes were around us, we couldn't sense them.

A cannon boomed. I almost cried out in terror but sufficed with a choked sob.

"Bo, I don't think it was his cannon," Rose told me. I picked up Edan's backpack.

"It might have been. If those mutts killed him, I will bash them until they cry for mercy, and they will receive none."

Rose squeezed my hand and jumped down the hole after me.

~ ~ § ~ ~

We slid down a fair bit of it. The tunnel twisted and turned, branched off in different, but I followed the freshest footprints with the dim light of my knife. Somehow it gave off a glow if its own.

"Why are you coming with me Rose?" I asked suddenly. She replied from just behind me, taking my hand for reassurance.

"I want to be like you. I want to save people and not hurt them," she said. "I liked you when I first saw you and you like Edan, so I like Edan."

We were silent for a few more minutes until she spoke again.

"Why do you think the monkey mutts are taking Edan underground?" Rose asked. "They're monkeys, so wouldn't they take him up a tree of something?"

"I honestly don't know," I answered. "Can you smell that?"

Rose sniffed the air. "Yeah, what do you think it is?"

"Smoke," I recognized the smell from the fires at home. But how could there be a fire so deep underground? Wouldn't that choke them?

"We have to hurry," I said urgently. We picked up the pace, me racing out front and Rose flying behind me. We followed the footprints around one last corner and came across a strange sight.

In the large cavern were dozens of mutts, not just monkey mutts, but a variety of pigs, goats, badgers, foxes and monkeys were dancing in their mutt way around a fire, and in the middle of the fire was-

"Edan," I muttered. He was scratched, bloody and filthy, tied to a stake in the middle of the fire, clearly unconscious. So it wasn't his cannon.

Rose stepped beside me and her eyes met mine. I nodded and we flanked the mutts, meeting at the opposite side of the cavern. Here there were fewer mutts and we had a clear sight to Edan's bonds. Rose clutched her knife bravely and hugged me.

"Good luck," she whispered.

"Good luck to you too," I whispered back. "And may the odds be _ever_ in your favour."

She grinned, picked up a stray rock from the ground and tossed it to the other side of the room. The mutts' heads whipped towards the sound and half of them bounded after the rock. The smoke was so thick at this point that Rose and I had difficulty breathing. But it was why we hadn't been detected yet. The mutts couldn't smell us or see us.

As soon as I nodded, Rose and I launched ourselves out from our hiding place and made a beeline for Edan's stake. Some of the mutts seemed to realize what was going on and began to make feeble slashes and kicks at us. Rose reached Edan first and frantically sliced the ropes binding him to the stake. Edan teetered and fell forward, maybe into the flames if I hadn't darted around and caught him.

"Take him!" I yelled at Rose. "I'll hold them off!"

Rose heaved Edan's unconscious form across the other half of the room and disappeared up the tunnel. The mutts had fully grasped the situation and were now regrouping in front of me. One brave fox leapt at me, but I knocked it aside and it fell into the fire, rolling and shrieking in agony. The others warily pushed me back into the tunnel. As soon as I reached the opening, I turned and ran.

Okay, it probably wasn't the most heroic thing to do, but my brain and senses were still clogged with smoke and it seemed like the best idea at the time.

As soon as I started running, the mutts bounded after me.

My knife lit the way as I ran. I heard Rose struggling amongst the yapping and shrieking of the mutts and scooped up her and Edan as I passed. The tunnels were now big enough for me to run standing up.

I could feel the adrenaline rush coursing through my veins. I barely noticed Rose screaming in terror as mutts bounded behind us and swiped at her. Every time she jerked in my arms, I ran faster and harder. My muscles were screaming in agony, the weight of both Edan and Rose was weighing me down. My adrenaline rush was beginning to fade when I saw a patch of sunlight.

New energy surfaced; energy I hadn't felt before and I flew through the tunnel and out into daylight. The mutts followed and had us circled within minutes. In the tunnel they were constricted and unable to attack in numbers, but out here they could attack us as much as they liked.

I was unfamiliar with this place. It looked sort of like the entrance to the mine back at home. There was the entrance to the cave with three wooden supports holding the roof and walls up.

I could hear the howling and yapping of the mutts as they bounded along the cave and through the entrance. All the different types of the mutts were there: pigs, goats, badgers, foxes and monkeys. Their fur was matted, dusty and bloody. Just the sight made me want to gag. It was so repulsive.

Once out of the tunnel I stumbled a few steps and fell to the ground in defeat.

Edan stirred as I let both him and Rose go. My muscles jerked and convulsed with fatigue as I lay there, unable to defend myself. It seemed that every single muscle that existed in my body was on fire and burning away my skin and bones. It was the worst feeling and the jerking and convulsing didn't do me much justice. Even my brain was affected and I was unable to calculate how long I would be in this state.

Edan was injured too. He had a gash on his side seeping with thick red blood that would need stitching.

Rose shook Edan and he opened his eyes wearily.

"Bo!" he whispered as he saw me. Edan made to stand up but winced and held his side. Neither of us was in fighting shape. Rose took a deep breath.

"I know I may not have known you for long," she said, "but I feel like I've known you for my whole life. Don't ever stop being yourselves."

With that, the thirteen-year-old girl stood up to face the continuous horde of monsters.


	15. Chapter 15

**15**

Her knife whirled as she took down mutt after mutt. They piled onto her, as if trying to kill her with sheer numbers but she surged forward, forcing them back.

I still couldn't move, although Edan was trying to pull both of us to the safety of the surrounding trees. I could tell that it was costing him a lot of pain, but he refused to let it show. All I was able to do was cling into our bags as he dragged me along.

Rose cried out as a badger took a bite out of her leg, then forced the pain back and continued battling them. I watched in terror as some made their way around her towards us.

So it was all in vain. We were to die anyway. Edan's hand found mine and squeezed it as we waited for our impending doom.

But it didn't come. There was a whistling noise and a trident flew through the air and impaled the closest mutt. Finnick Odair, the tributes from 8 and the boy from 10 barreled through the trees wielding swords, clubs and shields and struck out at the nearest mutts. They were an unstoppable force.

The tributes from 8 and the boy from 10 rushed to help Rose force the mutts back into the cave. Finnick Odair stood protectively in front of Edan and me, killing any mutt within his reach.

"Go!" he yelled, impaling a sneering monkey and slicing a pig's head off.

"Not without Rose!" Edan yelled back.

"We'll bring her back when we're finished here!" Finnick yelled, giving our bags a kick. Edan immediately wrapped his arms around me and continued dragging me towards the trees. I watched in fascination as the tributes worked together and forced the mutts back into the cave. Then my view was obscured by trees.

Edan pulled me into a bush and collapsed, panting. I had to remember he was almost burnt and had a gash in his side.

_A gash in his side!_

I took a deep breath and flexed my muscles, regaining a bit of control. My fingers curled and stretched, my legs bent and went straight. I sat up.

"Thanks for coming for me," Edan said breathlessly.

"Let me see the wound."

It was fairly deep and the red blood that poured from it was thick and dark. That was bad.

I pulled out my kit, threaded a needle, gave Edan and painkiller, threaded up his wound and bandaged it. He sighed gratefully and smiled at me.

"Should we go see how they're doing?" he offered. I shook my head.

"We're in no position to go anywhere," I said. "We're waiting for Rose and then leaving."

The sounds of fighting in the distance faded away, followed by footsteps crunching through the undergrowth towards our bush. It was Finnick and his allies.

They were carrying Rose between them. She was breathing shallowly and clutching a massive tear in her side; a tear that couldn't be fixed; a tear that was her death.

They set her down and sat respectively around her. She died fighting, and so that omitted a respectful funeral.

"Bo," she gasped with her voice barely audible. I leant down to hear what she had to say.

"What is it sweetie?"

"When I die, please burn my body," she whispered. "Burn it and spread the ashes. I don't want the Capitol to have my body when I die."

"I will," I told her, then lifted her body into my arms and cradled her like a baby. Rose smiled slowly and began to whistle quietly. As soon as I heard the whistle, I immediately thought of her story about her canary, about it flying around whistling when the day was done. I listened to a few notes then whistled with her. Edan joined in, and then the other tributes until one voice fell silent. Rose fell limp in my arms and her cannon rang out.

"Goodbye baby," I whispered, closing her eyelids and kissing each one.

Edan put a hand on my shoulder comfortingly as I began to cry. Finnick and his allies respected the funeral rites, and lifted Rose out of my arms.

"We'll get the pyre ready," the girl from 8 told me quietly before following the others. Tears flowed freely from my eyes and down my cheeks. Edan pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly.

"It'll be okay," he told me. "She didn't die in vain."

I gave a watery laugh and kissed him. It wasn't because I wanted him; it was because I needed reassurance that he was there to comfort me.

Edan gently broke the kiss and placed my head over his shoulder. We stayed that way until the boy from 10 returned. He slung our bags over his shoulder and helped us up. He led us to the next clearing, where Rose's body lay.

She was on a large pile of tinder and logs, wrapped in a precious blanket and tied with vines. Finnick stood by with a burning log in his hand, the one that wasn't holding the trident. He gave me a small smile and dropped the log in the pile.

It immediately lit. Fire spread along the pile, consuming the wood and licking the blanket before eating that as well. I stood in Edan's arms as we watched the thirteen year old girl burn.

As she burned, I thought about her life. Rose was a courageous young girl who was braver than me. She'd sacrificed herself to save a pair of strangers who she barely knew. I knew that as long as I lived – which might not be that long – I would always remember her.

It was dark by the time her body was fully burned and there was nothing but ashes. The six of us stood with our back to the breeze and gently blew on the ashes. They were scattered and lost in the wind. We stood there for a few more minutes in silence before Finnick spoke.

"You're both okay with it if we go now?" he asked.

"Yes," I murmured. Finnick and his allies gathered up their things and left with barely a sound, leaving Edan and me with our two bags, more alone than ever.

~ ~ § ~ ~

We climbed a tree and tied ourselves to the branch, sliding into Rose's sleeping bag. My coat stayed in my bag tonight. Edan placed an arm around my shoulders as we stared up at the sky. The anthem blared and we saw Rose's face and the boy from District 2 smile in the sky and fade. The stars replaced their faces. They were very beautiful.

"She's up there you know," I said to Edan.

"I know. Let's try sleep. It's been a horrible day."

I bury my face into his chest and breathe deeply. His smell was so comforting. I fell asleep quickly.


	16. Chapter 16

**16**

Edan and I had no food except for Edan's carrots and dried fruit. We make do with that for a small breakfast before we pack up and are on the move.

We travel more slowly today. I'm not sure what I was looking for until I feel the effects of thirst. Then I remembered that my water bottle was empty.

"We need to find water," I said to Edan. He nodded and took my hand as we move through the long grass. It doesn't take us long to find water.

The small brook babbled away merrily as Edan and I fill our bottles and drink deeply. We do that a few more times before walking along the edge of the water. I still don't know what we're looking for.

"Hey look," Edan exclaimed, pointing somewhere to the left. An old tent is sitting under a canopy of trees. It looked ancient, abandoned and completely useless. I tilted my head curiously and found that it blended well with its surroundings. It was a perfect camouflage tent, tucked away beneath the trees.

"We should check it out," I decided. Edan nodded and we flanked the tent, listening carefully for any sounds out of the ordinary. I checked the trees, but could see no tributes. I couldn't sense any either. The tent was clean.

Inside it was quite compact, with a few torches, a selection of food and a mattress. Edan dumped his bag on the ground and flopped on the mattress, sighing in contentment and stretching.

"It feels like I haven't slept in a proper mattress in forever," he chuckled, beckoning for me to join him. I dropped my bag and leapt beside him, bouncing the mattress around in my enthusiasm. He laughed and tickled under my chin. I gave a sound if indignation and began to tickle his stomach. We lay there giggling, tickling each other for a few minutes. When we quieted down, Edan propped himself up on his elbow and looked at me.

"I love you," he said. I pulled him onto my lips and kissed him once, deeply and meaningfully, before letting him go.

"Ditto," I smiled. He stood up slowly and rubbed his stomach. It rumbled in response. I took that as an invitation and marched over to the selection of food and searched through the pile until I saw something that caught my eye.

"Strawberry and cream rolls," I said in surprise, lifting the rolls. Edan snatched the rolls from me and smelt them warily.

"They smell okay," he said slowly. "Let me try one."

I tried to protest but Edan pulled one out and scarfed it down. Wow, he really was hungry. He licked his lips and frowned thoughtfully.

"It tastes okay, so this food must be safe," he said finally. Without further ado, I took a roll out and munched it hungrily. Aside from our rolls, Edan and I found some cold pheasant and vegetables. We would eat the rest later.

We ate the first full meal since we were at the Capitol. We washed our faces in the creek and I mentally counted the days we'd been in the arena. There was the night in the tree, by the beach, with Rose, last night and tonight – five nights.

I missed my home terribly, my cat and my parents. I missed the Meadow; dancing over the flowers, picking some and putting them in the vase in my room.

I opened the necklace I wore and looked at the pictures. Edan had a frozen smile on his face as he wrestled me to the ground and I was laughing. My parents' smiles were happy and sad at the same time. As if they knew what was to come.

"What's that?" Edan asked. I showed him the necklace. The silver chain glinted in the fast-fading sunlight. His gaze softened. "I remember that day," he said softly, "so well."

His eyes met mine and I felt a familiar desire stirring there. I wanted him. We would die soon so I figured; what the heck!

"Come on," I took his hand and led him into the tent. I pulled Rose's sleeping bag out, laid it on the mattress, stripped off to my underclothes, crawled into the bag and beckoned him in. Edan hurried to comply. In no time he was lying next to me. My stomach seemed full of butterflies as I kissed him. Edan placed one arm over me, holding me in place as we kissed. In one fluid movement he rolled on top of me. We parted, breathing deeply.

"Do you trust me?" he whispered. I didn't hesitate.

"I trust you."


	17. Chapter 17

**17**

The next morning I woke up feeling a sense of happiness connected with Edan. I smiled as I remembered last night. It had been painful, but it had been so amazing…

Edan was sleeping peacefully beside me, his mouth tilting upwards in a faint smile. I slipped out of bed and got dressed: shirt, tights, boots, and jacket. I tiptoed outside and lay down on a rock, watching the sun rise slowly.

Then I heard the cannon.

It boomed from the distance, and I frowned as I wondered who it was. I guessed that I would have to wait until tonight to find out.

There was a crash inside the tent and Edan flew out, fully-clothed. He must've woken up when I left and got dressed to follow me. He glanced around in shock, saw me on the rock and barreled over.

"I thought that was your cannon," he gasped, crushing me in his arms. I gagged.

"Squeeze me any harder and it will be," I gasped. Edan let go and breathed deeply.

"I'm sorry," he said nervously. "Um, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I assured him. "I was just watching the sunrise. It's very beautiful. Would you like to watch it with me?"

Edan awkwardly sat on the rock beside me and tilted his head to the sky. We watched as the sun peeped over the endless fields and bathed us in its warmth. Edan took my hand and we sat there, peacefully for what felt like forever.

~ ~ § ~ ~

Later on in the day we made fishing rods and tested them out in the creek. Edan caught a fish and we shared it for dinner with some berries I'd collected. We'd gazed at the stars, slow danced to the anthem, kissing passionately and forgetting our surroundings. The girl from District 8 smiled at us from the sky.

It continued like that for roughly two weeks. In that time four cannons had boomed. The girl from 1, the girl from 4, the boy from 8 and the boy from 10 were all dead. Edan and I knew that the Gamemakers wanted the audience to adore our love, and we were not disturbed by any mutts or traps. Even though we had no idea what was happening outside of our little bubble, we knew that the Gamemakers would want to force us together soon.

Two weeks after Edan and I had arrived at the tent, it started to rain. As soon as I woke up I was engulfed by a wave of nausea. I rushed outside and puked up the contents of my stomach in the creek. I crouched there, panting, slowly feeling the cold of the rain as I fought the next wave. Edan came out to join me.

"What's wrong?" he was genuinely concerned.

"I don't know," I said. "Maybe it was a reaction to the rain?"

I saw a look of terror in Edan's eyes as I said that. Almost as soon as it appeared, it disappeared.

"What?" I asked.

"It-it's nothing," he said, "just a suspicion."

"Do you think it's a trick of the Gamemakers?"

"Yes that's it," he said, a little too quickly.

I hoped he was right.

~ ~ § ~ ~

Two days later, there were still no cannons. My puking was getting worse and Edan was really starting to worry for my health. As I puked up my guts I could feel the audience getting bored and restless. They would be eager for some excitement.

After Edan and I had eaten a careful breakfast, minding my sickness, a voice was heard.

It was the Head Gamemaker. He was inviting us to a feast. I was about to tell Edan that we wouldn't bother to turn up when the Gamemaker said something that convinced me. He said that at the feast would be the one thing we needed most. One thing.

The voice faded and I met Edan's eyes.

"A cure for your sickness," he said immediately.

We spent the rest of the morning preparing for the trip. We packed food, weapons, the sleeping bag, plenty of rope and full water bottles. After a quick lunch of warm broth we set off without any intention of returning.

I carefully measured the distance and Edan and I quickly came across the shack where I'd helped Finnick. Even though we tried to move stealthily, we still made a fair bit of noise.

~ ~ § ~ ~

The cornucopia and the area surrounding it were silent when we arrived. Edan pushed me behind him.

"I'll get the cure," he whispered. I tried to protest but he kissed me deeply once, stopping any complaint. "Just in case I don't make it."

As the sun touched the horizon a panel opened from underneath the cornucopia and four bags appeared. The smallest was the one with a 12 on it; there was one labeled 4, one labeled 2 and the last one labeled 1. As soon as the whirring stopped, Edan dashed out from the shelter of the trees and up to the cornucopia. He hooked his hand protectively over the small bag and began to run back towards me. He was about halfway back when the girl from 2 ran for her bag. A dart appeared from the tree and hit her squarely in the neck. She tumbled over and her cannon went off.

Finnick ran from the trees, whirling his trident protectively and was knocked aside by the boy from 1. Edan was just about at the trees when it happened.

The boy from 1 threw a dagger across the clearing and it hit Edan on his right side in the ribs. He gave a strangled gasp and fell flat on his face. Finnick retook the boy's attention as they fought.

I ran to Edan and rolled him over. I pulled the knife from his side, threw it aside and lay him in my lap. Because the knife hit him opposite his heart it would take him a little longer to die.

_To die._

"No!" I sobbed, kissing his dying lips. He breathed shallowly. There was nothing I could do to save him.

"Sing for me Bo," he whispered, coughing blood. "I love you."

I gulped down the next sob and began to sing the song that got me a ten. Finnick and the boy from 1 stopped fighting and stood there listening to my voice as I sang the song for Edan, but I was too distraught to notice.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow_

_A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_

_Lay down your head, and close your eyes_

_And when they open, the sun will rise_

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet-_

_-and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you._

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_

_A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray_

_Forget your woes and let your troubles lay_

_And when again it's morning, they'll wash away_

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet-_

_- and tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you._

_Here is the place where I love you._

I finished the song and closed Edan's eyelids. He smiled his last and spoke.

"I love you," he whispered. I didn't try to stop the flow of tears.

"I love you," I whispered as his cannon boomed, and then shouted it. "I LOVE YOU!"

Finnick and the boy from 1 shook their heads as if waking from a stupor, looked at each other and realized they should be fighting. They began to fight again, cutting where they could and stabbing at the other.

I sobbed over Edan's body. Immediately I knew that there was no way I could continue. Edan was my shining star, my best friend and the most wonderful person I'd ever known. In the middle of my jumbled brain I thought of the bag: the thing Edan had sacrificed his life for. I fumbled with the strap and pulled out a thin strip of plastic. It had three numbers on the side and a little pink circle attached to the top. Once I realized what it was, I almost cried out in terror.

It was a pregnancy test. I was pregnant.

It all fit together. The puking and being careful what I ate. That night we'd arrived at the tent… yes. It was true.

Then I realized that I didn't want to live with this. I didn't want our child to live in a world like this.

Over where the fight was a body fell and the cannon boomed. I cleared my tears. Finnick stood there, injured and panting. I knew what to do.

"Finnick," I called. He warily came over and then looked at Edan in shock.

"He died?" Finnick said quietly. I nodded, suddenly afraid to speak. Finnick crouched next to me and put his hand on Edan's face, muttering a blessing.

"I want you to kill me," I whispered. Finnick lurched back in surprise.

"Why? I would never live with myself," he said quickly. I squared my shoulders and faced him.

"I'll tell you why," I said, my voice rising. "I don't want to live without Edan. Back home he was the only person I had. Now he's been taken from me. I tried to help people in the Games! I tried my hardest, but Edan suffered! I would never want to face all of it back home! What's waiting there? An empty house and nightmares! Besides," my voice started shaking. "I don't want our child growing up in a world like this."

Finnick looked at the plastic in my hand then back at me. Shock filled every follicle of his body.

"You're pregnant?" he asked in disbelief. I nodded and fought back tears.

"Please Finnick. Do it as a wish to a dying girl," I said, my voice breaking. Finnick still hesitated and moved away.

"I can't," he said, scared. I understood. He was only fourteen. Behind me a hovercraft materialized and claws detracted to pick me up. I was a threat to their Games.

"Please Finnick!" I screamed as the claw opened to grab me. Finnick made a decision and threw his trident, fast and hard. The metal penetrated my chest, ripping through my lungs and crushing my heart.

"I'm so sorry baby," I spoke to both my child and Edan, my voice cracked with destroyed hope and sorrow. I loved them both so much. Edan was suddenly there, holding out his arms to welcome me. I took them and stepped into the light.

Finnick watched in anguish as I died and he was claimed the winner.


	18. Chapter 18

**18**

Finnick Odair nervously sat in the victor's chair. Caesar Flickerman sat in front of him, beaming in his twinkling, midnight-blue suit.

Caesar makes a few jokes to begin. The show lasted exactly three hours, and was compulsory for all citizens of Panem.

No, not citizens. _Prisoners._

He turned as the lights dimmed and the massive screen at the far end of the stadium began to play the recordings. The first half hour was dedicated to the reaping, the chariots, the training scores and interviews. He saw the look of shock and surprise on his face for the second time; he saw himself draped in golden fish nets in the chariot and winced. He had no idea they looked that bad.

Finnick watched sadly as he watched the snapshots in the arena. He saw all the kills he did, the death of all the twenty-three tributes. All except Bo. They moved to the less important things. He saw himself making nets and catching the tributes in them before spearing them with his trident. He noticed that they didn't show Rose's pyre. He watched the deaths of his allies. Those three tributes were good companions. When they got to Bo singing, he watched as he stood there, dumbfounded as Bo sung that song about hope and peace.

Finnick remembered the feeling as she sang. He remembered feeling immensely happy as he listened to her voice, and the realization to how she got her ten. He never wanted to hear the song end. He wanted to sing with her, about hope and the spring.

As Finnick remembered the song, he also remembered the thoughts that ran through his head as he threw the trident at Bo. It was her last wish. True love… he respected that. She and Edan were very much in love and without the other, they were just empty shells. The desperation in Bo's voice as she begged him to kill her decided him. She saved his life. He would do whatever he could to return the favour. Now she was dead, up in the sky with Edan living their happy afterlife. They were incredibly courag-eous tributes. Edan sacrificed himself for Bo; Bo had the courage to beg to die. Looking back, Finnick knew it was the right choice. Since it was just him and Bo, it would have been very difficult. He would never have brought himself to kill her if she didn't want to die. He owed her far too much to do that. She wouldn't have been able to kill him either. He now knew that she swore not to kill any tributes but to help them instead. She had the strongest spirit he'd ever seen in a woman.

The recordings finished as Finnick stood there stunned as he was crowned victor. Caesar turned back to Finnick and began to talk. Finnick couldn't think anymore. He swore with his life that if another tribute came through as strong as Bo Sage he would help them restore peace to this cursed world.

~ ~ § ~ ~

The party was basically everyone shaking Finnick's hand and telling him how great he was. Finnick was uncomfortable with the attention and squeezed through the crowd.

Congratulations. Handshakes. It was pointless.

He couldn't find Mags. He had to find her and feel secure. Finnick heard voices inside a room and decided to check to see if Mags was inside. She would probably be talking to someone important.

Finnick walked into the room and saw President Snow standing there alone talking into a speaker. He smiled a smile to Finnick that didn't reach his eyes, and looked at the boy with eyes as unforgiving as a snake.

"Mister Odair," he said slowly, "I have a proposition for you…"

~ ~ § ~ ~

The interview began the very next day. Caesar was sitting in the exact same suit, smiling in conceit. Caesar didn't know what President Snow had proposed to Finnick the other day. If only he did…

The lights flicked on and the music played. Caesar smiled at the camera's and then faced Finnick.

"So Finnick," Caesar began. "How do you feel about winning?"

_Play it safe_, Mags had told him. To hell with that.

"I feel like I won unfairly," Finnick said quietly.

"Hm indeed," Caesar said uncertainly. "What about your relationship to Miss Sage? Did you have feelings for her?"

"No," Finnick replied. "I felt like I owed her. She did save my life after all."


	19. Chapter 19

**19**

Back in District 12 my parents were terribly distraught. My body had been mailed back to them with Edan and they'd buried us next to each other. Mother made sure that the necklace they gave me was around my neck as the dirt was piled onto my body. Father resigned from mayor and a new mayor took his place: Mayor Undersee.

Life went on as usual after that. It was hard for the people in District 12 to forget the sound of my voice as I begged Finnick to kill me, or the love I displayed to Edan and my child. I cared for them so much I was willing to give my life for them. As the next ten years passed only Haymitch and Finnick Odair remembered the valiant effort I displayed in embarrassing the Capitol.

Meanwhile Edan's older brother took over the bakery. His wife was very temper-mental but she was a hard worker and helped him bake. They raised their three children, never mentioning their uncle Edan who died in the games to protect to woman he loved. Slowly, the spark Edan and I had created died down. As the next nine years passed, Edan's youngest – and favourite – nephew began to grow up.

His name was Peeta Mellark.


End file.
